The highly respected and often controversial wine and food expert Darrell Corti has been at the forefront of the development and growth of the California wine industry since joining his family’s grocery business, Corti Brothers in Sacramento, in 1964. By seeking out new California fine wines, he has been instrumental in creating a larger market for emerging wineries, especially for those in Napa Valley.

Darrell has been a catalyst in the re-evaluation and renaissance of zinfandel, a leader in advocating wider use of Italian varieties or grapes in California, and has been integral to the rediscovery of the Sierra Foothills as a fine wine growing region. He is an internationally sought after member of wine and olive oil tasting panels and has mentored a generation of seminal food and wine professionals with his impeccable taste and articulate discourse.